Article by Jeff Valliere and John Tribbia
Koo Eyewear - Nova Sunglasses and Enigma Chrome Goggles
Introduction:
Jeff: I had never heard of Koo eyewear prior to last month when I was presented with the opportunity to review. Koo was founded in Italy in 2016, making high quality sport sunglasses, snow goggles and MTB goggles. All Koo eyewear are designed and crafted in Italy using the highest quality Zeiss lenses for premium optical definition, clarity and protection. While Koo has only been around for 7 years, Zeiss lenses have been around since 1846!
Koo Nova Sunglasses ($200)
Olive Green Matte / Orange
Orange Mirror Lenses
Filter category - 2
VLT - 20%
Available now - $200
Features:
- Ultra-lightweight at only 21 grams
- Frameless aero-shaped single lens
- Nylon toric lens by Zeiss®
- Shatter-proof, anti-reflective and 100% UV Protection
- High temple flexibility, grip and breaking resistance
- Superior field of vision
- Interchangeable nose pad
- Uniform Multilayer Mirror coating
- Hydrophobic technology anti-drop
- Asian nose bridge included in the packaging
Jeff: The Koo Nova is exceptionally light, minimal and flexible, with a frameless design that is best suited for running, cycling and nordic skiing. The frameless design not only provides a minimal, lightweight feel, but also offers an unobstructed field of vision. The earstems are securely affixed to the lens and have a very positive open/close action and have a sticky rubber to grip well behind the ears.
The nose bridge is made of a flexible hydrophobic rubber that is comfortable and well vented. While it is not moldable, the glasses come with an Asian fit nose bridge, so worth a try if fit was may be an issue.
The Zeiss lens provides exceptionally premium optical definition, clarity and protection. The 20% VLT of the orange lens as tested has been adequate in bright sun with snow, yet also good on cloudy days and does reasonably well on tree lined trails with intermittent shadows, although if the sun is setting, the 20% VLT gets a little too dark to see well or pick out trail definition. The frameless aero lens is a great size, large enough to provide plenty of protection from the wind and sun, yet not overwhelmingly massive.
The Nova is quite flexible and in the most relaxed position fit my small face well with plenty of hold to keep them in place with no bounce, although are flexible/adaptable enough to fit just about any size face.
Performance is very good overall, as I appreciate the light weight, anti fog/breathability, fit, quality and optical clarity.
John: The Koo Nova Sunglasses are a stylish and functional choice for anyone who wants to protect their eyes and look good while doing it. I am always on the hunt for a pair of sunglasses that are durable, lightweight, and have good UV protection and the Koo Nova sunglasses ticked all of those boxes.
My pair were the Sunset Matte / Gold with Gold Mirror Lenses. They had filter category 3 with a VLT ot 16%.
The frameless design is not only sleek and modern, but it also provides a panoramic view that is perfect for outdoor activities: I've worn them while running, cycling, and hiking. The nylon lens is shatter-proof and anti-reflective, so it provides excellent protection for your eyes.
The lens has been scratch resistant so far, after several weeks of use. I have read of users reporting that the sunglasses are not as durable as they could be - the plastic frames can break if they are not properly cared for.
It is also 100% UV protective, so you can be sure your eyes are safe from the sun's harmful rays: I used a UV light to test this, and they block out the most intense levels of UV light.
The wraparound fit secures the sunglasses to your face and protects you from bright light, airborne debris, and wind: I found this to be particularly useful when cycling on sunny blustery days. The temples are incredibly thin and flexible, so they can be adapted to most head sizes and shapes: I have a slightly narrow head and they fit very well.
Overall, I am very happy with the Koo Nova Sunglasses. They provide excellent protection and style, and I would definitely recommend them to others.
Koo Enigma Chrome Goggles ($290)
Navy frame
Blue Mirror Lens (17% VLT + Unveil Lens 86% VLT
$290. Available Now
- Slide Lock System
- Venting System
- Panoramic View
- Optical Class I
- No Pressure Design
- Silicone Strap
- 3 Layer Foam
- Toric Lens
- 100% UV Protection
- Anti-fog
- Lens by Zeiss
- UNVEIL extra lens included in the packaging
The Enigma Chrome is Koo’s most premium snow goggle, with exceptional quality all around from the sturdy well vented frame, easy adjustable sturdy silicone strap with grippy rubber strips for sticking to a helmet and then of course the Zeiss lens.
The Enigma Chrome also comes with an additional yellow lens for low visibility snowy/cloudy days with the slide lock system making the swap process semi easy. You simply pop the left button/lever on the left side of the goggle which releases the lens and then you have to carefully remove the lens from the frame releasing the several notches around the perimeter of the frame.
Pulling the lens apart from the frame takes some care and is even more of a process to then set a lens back into the frame. It is a bit tricky and time consuming, where you are handling the lens a lot (getting fingerprints on the lens), or using the storage bag to not add fingerprints.
Note the locking “pins” around the lens, top/bottom center, larger ones on either side bottom and the lock/latch on either side.
You can easily see the set notches in the photo above. Lining these up and properly setting the lens takes some practice and is only something I would do in the comfort of my home or maybe the lodge. Even with practice, I would not find it to be convenient to change lenses in the field, you sort of have to pick one or the other for the day or half the day and commit.
The silicone strap is very strong and grippy.
Both the top and bottom of the goggles have ample ventilation ports that are sturdy (and not thin foam like many goggles that could degrade or rip over time). Padding is two layer foam, very thick, comfortable and durable.
The two included lenses side by side. Both provide amazing optical clarity, where the blue lens provides amazing protection from the sun on bright sunny snow days and gives great contrast, where the yellow lens is great for cloudy, snowy, low visibility days and provides excellent contrast in those tough light conditions.
The Enigma Chrome comes in two sizes, small and medium, though I would say it would make more sense to call them medium and extra large. I am testing the medium and in the photo above you can see how massive they are. I do have a small face, so perhaps the small would be more appropriate for me, but I do appreciate the full coverage.
I was able to test the Enigma Chrome with my Smith Vantage helmet and they integrated very nicely.
Overall I find performance to be excellent, from the top notch clarity and definition of the premium Zeiss lenses, the ability to swap the lens and that it comes with an extra lens, that they are comfortable, breathable and integrate so well with my helmet. At $290, they are not cheap, but you are getting a very high quality product that will perform well and last a long time.
Koo Eyewear is available world wide from Koo HERE
Jeff Valliere loves to run and explore the mountains of Colorado, the steeper and more technical the better. He has summited all of the 14ers in the state and can be found on mountain trails daily, no matter the weather, season, conditions or whether there is daylight or not. On the side he loves to bike and hike, often with his family, as he introduces his 12 year old daughters to the outdoors. Jeff was born and raised in New Hampshire, but has called Colorado home for over 25 years.
John Tribbia (5' 6", 130lbs) is a former sponsored mountain/trail runner who has run with La Sportiva, Brooks/Fleet Feet, Pearl Izumi, and Salomon. Even though he competes less frequently these days, you can still find John enjoying the daily grind of running (and cycling) on any surface, though his favorite terrain is 30-40% grade climbs. He has won races such as America's Uphill, Imogene Pass Run, and the US Skyrunner Vertical Kilometer Series; and he's held several FKTs on several iconic mountains in Boulder, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah. If you follow him on Strava, you'll notice he runs at varying paces between 5 minutes/mile to 12 minutes/mile before the break of dawn almost every day.
Samples were provided at no charge for review purposes. RoadTrail Run has affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased via shopping links in this article. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content. The opinions herein are entirely the authors'.
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1 comment:
They’re just naturally affectionate and friendly.
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